American Airlines plans nonstop service for Penn State fans in the Charlotte region
American Airlines is launching a new service later this year at Charlotte Douglas International Airport to central Pennsylvania.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline will begin flying nonstop from CLT to State College Regional Airport on Oct. 5, according to a news release. The new service is expected to operate twice daily for travelers and will be year-round.
“American is always looking to make it easier for our customers to explore the world and our new service between Charlotte and State College will do just that,” said Jordan Pack, American’s Director of Domestic Network Planning, in a statement. “We’re thankful for the support of the community in State College as we look forward to launching this service in the fall.”
The State College Air Service Alliance marked the flight as a significant expansion of commercial air service at State College Regional Airport, which is also home to Penn State. The Alliance was formed in 2025 and advocates for air service needs.
It said daily service to CLT will support connectivity for residents, businesses and visitors in Centre County. The new flight is also expected to support Penn State by providing a reliable air service for research activity, student travel and visitation to the campus.
Ralph Stewart, Interim Executive Director of the Centre County Airport Authority, said a community-led fund spearheaded by Penn State, local governments, businesses and individuals all helped to make the new route a possibility.
The flights are just under two hours and are expected to depart Charlotte at 2:41 p.m. and 9:44 p.m., according to American’s website. Passengers will fly on a ER4-Embraer ERJ-145, a 50-seat plane, the website shows. It will be operated by Piedmont Airlines.
According to the airport’s fact sheet, this will be the seventh nonstop route American will fly to Pennsylvania from CLT. Other locations include Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre-Scranton and Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton.
More on American and CLT
American offers thousands of daily flights to more than 350 destinations in over 60 countries. Charlotte Douglas is the second-largest hub for American, which serves around 90% of all flights.
Charlotte Douglas is the seventh-busiest airport in the world when it comes to takeoffs and landings, according to preliminary rankings released in April by Airports Council International.
The airport recorded 574,193 aircraft operations last year – a 4% decline from 2024, and 7% increase compared to 2023.